


The Devil You Know

by esmerelda_t



Series: The Devil You Know [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Jessica Jones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2020-11-27 21:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20955359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmerelda_t/pseuds/esmerelda_t
Summary: A few weeks after his acquittal Murdock had held a press conference, talked about how men like Kilgrave had prayed on the city too long and how he was going to change that.  He nominally ran a law firm but everyone knew in reality he ran the Kitchen.Or Matt and Jessica meet in college and are somewhat of a bad influence on each other.





	1. Chapter 1

_Then_

The least the ungrateful shit could do, Jeri thinks, is act like he’s remotely grateful she’s there. She hates the pro bono shift, like they need the good will _that _badly_. _Instead of being suitably appreciative he has one of the city’s best defence attorney’s, Murdock just smirks across the table in the precinct interview room at her. Jeri adopts her best ‘This bullshit isn’t impressing me’ tone, “A bar full of people says you and Mr Kilgrave…” Murdock interrupts her, “Do you think that’s his real name?” Jeri’s pause allows Murdock to continue, “I’m just saying, sounds fake to me.” Jeri sighs, “What was the altercation you got into with him about?”

Murdock snarls his answer, losing his cool at last, “He slipped something into my girlfriend’s drink, was trying to make her leave with him.”

Jeri feels her eyebrow lift at that, “Uh huh, you sure of that? Maybe he was just more charming than you.” Murdock is adamant, “I came back from the john and she was completely out of it. Jessica loves me and even if she didn’t, she wouldn’t look twice at an asshole like that.” Jeri writes that down while asking, “So that was why you smashed his face into the bar and didn’t stop until” she glances at her notes from the witness statements, “his face looked like a pulped grapefruit?”

Murdock leans back in his chair and smirks again in her direction, “Gee, I must have tripped, I don’t see so good you know.”

~

The girlfriend is there waiting when Jeri leaves the interview room, accosts her, tall, pale in a way Jeri isn’t sure is due to shock or she just doesn’t see much daylight, she hisses at Jeri, “That shithead, he did something to me…he _must_ have. I didn’t want to leave with him… if Matt hadn’t come back when he did…” Jeri keeps her voice low, both to be soothing and so none of the cops hear her, “Look, I’m guessing Matt has a temper? If you’re scared…” Jessica bursts out laughing, “Honey, I could snap Matt in two like you snap a biscotti.” She shakes her head, like she’s trying to shake something loose, says loudly and clearly, aiming for an audience, “Oh it was _awful _Ms Hogarth, there was so much confusion and Matt tripped and there was a crush and that horrible man who’d roofied me… Matt wouldn’t hurt a _fly_, he goes to Church every Sunday.” The cops around them are looking on sympathetically as Jessica sniffs dramatically, Jeri smiles at her, takes her elbow, ”You’ve had a terrible shock, Jessica, let’s get you home.”

~

It’s not hard to find other women who vaguely remember Kilgrave, not his real name it turns out, and woke up places they didn’t remember going to. There’s other, weirder, stuff where people hand over their sports cars and penthouse keys. Murdock’s backstory makes him the perfect defendant, a handsome blind orphan who graduated _summa cum laude _from Columbia Law School. He’d met Jessica when they were undergrads, both at NYU and Jeri had practically cackled in glee when she’d found out Jessica was also an orphan. She was additionally the adopted sister of Patsy Walker. The tabloids loved it. They were a beautiful, tragic, young couple and most of the jury wanted to adopt them both themselves by the time Jeri was finished.

Murdock’s found not guilty, of course. Half of New York don’t believe such a nice young man could do something so horrible. The other half think, well, even if he did do it, didn’t Kilgrave have it coming?

After the acquittal they go out for drinks and when they leave the bar, Jeri waiting for her cab, she watches Murdock walk away, one arm slung around Jessica and twirling his cane in the other hand.

_Now_

Jeri looks up from the huge pile of papers she’s been handed to the earnest face of Patsy, no, Trish now, Walker. She sighs and asks, “I’m not quite sure what you want me to do with this?”

Walker leans forward, “Danny Rand is a friend, he said if I needed a lawyer I should come to you.” Her companion sighs, Jeri knows who she is, Karen Page, Bulletin investigative journalist but she’s smart enough to pretend she’s never heard of her, Page says warily, “Trish, maybe we should…” Trish ignores her, gestures to the file she’d handed over, “The pieces are there, but we just need to glue them together a bit more, we can’t go the DA office, not yet, he has people there.”

Jeri asks, “Who has people in the DA office?” Page snorts at that and Jeri catches her rolling her eyes, she states, “Matt Murdock? You know, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen?”

Jeri’s face freezes somewhere halfway between smile and grimace, “Mr Murdock is a valued member of the Hell’s Kitchen community, I believe he is very popular.” She turns towards Trish, “As is his wife, who of course I believe you know.” Page leans forward to say, “Bull. Shit. Murdock is a criminal, plain and simple, you think a few Christmas hams to the orphanage makes up for that?”

Jeri shuffles the papers, says brusquely, “It’s a lot more than a few hams, or so I’m told.” She turns to Walker, “I’m really not sure what you want me to do?” Walker blurts out, “Jessica’s pregnant.”

That answer only bemuses Jeri, “Congratulations on becoming an Aunt? You’re getting her a criminal case against her husband for the shower?” Walker shakes her head, “She needs to get away from him, now, before she has the baby. She never will otherwise.” Jeri considers her next words a bit more carefully, tries to be gentle, “Do you really think she needs your help to get away from him?” Page snorts again but Walker just nods her head, tears in her eyes, Jeri would kill Rand if he wasn’t so important a client, she sighs, “Okay, let me have a look through all of this and get back to you.”

~

A few weeks after his acquittal Murdock had held a press conference, talked about how men like Kilgrave had prayed on the city too long and how he was going to change that. He nominally ran a law firm but everyone knew in reality he ran the Kitchen. There’s a few things in the papers that Jeri hadn’t known but none of them surprise her. She could probably have lived without the crime scene photos of when they pulled Wilson Fisk out of the Hudson though.

If Jeri hadn’t been reluctant to make an enemy of Murdock already, even before seeing those photos, she certainly was after. That’s what brings her to Jessica’s photography gallery on 11th Avenue the following afternoon. She’s shown in to the back office and Jessica looks up, clearly annoyed and then confused when she sees it’s Jeri. The PA who ushered her in asks Jeri if he can get her anything, Jeri shakes her head but Jessica asks, “Can you get me some more ginger tea, Malcolm?” He nods, “Sure thing, Boss.” Jeri sees her opening, “I hear congratulations are in order.” She crosses the floor, reaches into her purse and takes out the folder, places it down on Jessica’s desk, “Here’s my Christening gift.” Jessica glances up at her, but takes the folder, flicks through a couple of pages and says with a glare, “Which one of the self-righteous bitches was it? My sister or Karen fucking Page?”

Jeri takes that as an invitation to sit down, “Both. They know they don’t have enough of a case yet, they thought I could help fill in the blanks.” Jessica snorts, “Have they met you? I know Page has her panties in a twist over, well, everything, but what the hell is Trish playing at?”

Jeri gestures at Jessica’s stomach, she’s wearing a blouse that would cover either a carb blow out or the beginning of a baby bump, “To be fair, I think she’s worried about you, and your delicate condition.” Jessica rolls her eyes, “Oh for _fuck’s sake_. I’m sick of telling her. Matt doesn’t make me _stay_, Matt doesn’t, and wouldn’t, make me do _shit_. I stay because I want to, because I love him and have since we were 19, I don’t know why she finds that so hard to believe.”

Jeri offers, “Um, maybe cause he’s evil? You know, _Devil of Hell’s Kitchen_?” Jessica rolls her eyes, “He’d be more evil if he was working downtown for any asshole who can pay, you know, like you. Look I’m not saying he’s a saint, but these are _his_ people, he wants them to be safe and not exploited and if he needs to get a little blood on his hands sometimes to do that….” Jessica shrugs, “So be it. He’s a good man.” Jessica pauses, “…in his own way.”

Jeri leans forward in her chair, “I’ve always wondered? How does he do it? I mean, he is really blind, right?” Jessica gives her a look of feigned innocence, “Does what? I meant figurative blood, obviously.” Jessica goes back to flicking through the folder and pulls a face when she comes across the photos of Fisk, “Gross.” Jeri nods, “They’ve got a fair case against him for Fisk’s murder, I’m guessing he didn’t like it when Fisk was buying all that property up and pricing people out?” Jessica shakes her head, “Oh no, he didn’t like that one bit.” Jessica looks up and locks eyes with her, “Matt didn’t kill Fisk, I did. Do you know Fisk sent fucking _Ninjas_ after Matt? Oh that’s how he does it by the way, Matt that is, Ninja. Well that and enhanced senses. I came home to find him bleeding out, thought he was going to die on me before I could get him to the doctor we use. Matt, he would have dragged it out, him and Fisk, macho bullshit, battle of wills, you know the kind of thing. I just went up to him and snapped his neck, well, slapped him about a little first. It was easier that I dealt with it, Matt sulked for a week or so, that I’d deprived him of some great battle with his nemesis, boys and their toys, right? ”

Jeri feels…she’s been reckless, coming here, it never occurred to her that Jessica was just as dangerous as Murdock, and now she’s told Jeri all this. Jeri jumps when the door opens and Malcolm comes back in, bringing Jessica her tea. As he puts it down in front of her Jessica closes the folder and slides it across the desk to Jeri. Smiles brightly and says to Malcolm, “Jeri has just dropped round to see if there’s anything she can help with, what with the baby on the way.” Jeri feels how insincere her stretched smile is as she tries to return the one Malcolm beams at her, “Isn’t it exciting?” Jeri nods and stutters out, “Yes, anything I can do of course…”

Jessica nods at the folder, “You can take care of that, can’t you?” Jeri nods back and puts the folder into her purse again as Jessica lifts her cup and blows on it before saying, “Oh and don’t worry, I’ll make sure Matt knows you dropped by, he’s always looking for…altruistic lawyers to help with the workload.”

Jeri heads for the door as quickly as she can, before Jessica thinks better of letter her leave.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeri could cause a scene but it won’t do her image any good and she doesn’t trust Poindexter won’t kill her where she stands. As she gets in the back she’s surprised to see Murdock already there, he flashes his bullshit smile at her, ”Congratulations Counsellor on another excellent defence.”

In the five years Jeri has done favours for Matt Murdock there’s been worse ones than defending Luke Cage. Cage controlled Harlem, and had beaten one of his lieutenants to death when he’d found out said lieutenant had been beating his wife and kid. Like Murdock, Cage seemed to have his own, bizarre, code of honour and Jeri wasn’t surprised to find out they were some sort of pals. She leaves Cage to his well wishers, which seems to be half of Harlem and exits the courthouse briskly. She freezes at the sight of an SUV straight ahead on the street and Ben Poindexter leaning against it smirking at her. He opens the back door and gestures for her to get in, “Boss wants to see you.”

Jeri could cause a scene but it won’t do her image any good and she doesn’t trust Poindexter won’t kill her where she stands. As she gets in the back she’s surprised to see Murdock already there, he flashes his bullshit smile at her, ”Congratulations Counsellor on another excellent defence.”

Jeri grimaces as she buckles her belt as the car moves on, “You know I’m still not clear why you didn’t just defend him yourself, would have been great headlines for you.” Murdock nods his agreement, “It would have, but then everyone would know Luke and I are special friends, wouldn’t they? Better to keep the distance.” Jeri rolls her eyes, how Murdock loves his subterfuge, “I’d happily accept a gift basket in thanks, no need to come down here yourself.” Murdock’s smile drops, “You want to tell me why you were seen with Karen Page last week?”

Jeri feels the all too familiar wave of nausea that accompanies terror hit her, rushes to reply, “You heard wrong, she door stopped me as I left the office. I told her to leave me alone and that if she persisted in her persecution of you and your legitimate business interests we’d pursue her through the courts.”

Poindexter chimes in from the front, “Legitimate interests? Doesn’t that kinda imply there’s _illegitimate _interests, boss?” Murdock laughs, calls in Poindexter’s direction, “Like I always say, Dex, you were wasted in the FBI, sure you don’t want me to send you to law school?” Poindexter laughs too and shakes his head while Jeri tries to keep the bile in her throat from rising any further. She takes a deep breath, “Karen Page is a completely discredited unemployed journalist, we saw to that. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to _now_ throw in with her?”

Murdock seems to consider that, “True, you’re a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of them.” His voice drops lower, “I don’t enjoy killing women, Jeri, that’s the only reason Page is still breathing, but just because I don’t _like_ it doesn’t mean I won’t. Better for both of you if you're not seen with her again. I trust that as always we understand each other?” Jeri takes another breath, makes sure her voice is steady, “Of course.” Murdock nods at her, “Good. Do you have plans for Thursday?”

Jeri blinks at that before asking, “What?” Murdock replies slightly exasperated, “Thursday? Thanksgiving? Do you have plans? You’ve no family in the City, right?” Jeri slowly replies, “No…no plans, no family.” Murdock smiles once more at her, “Then you should come round, have dinner with us, I insist.”

Jeri can hardly refuse.

~

When the door of Murdock’s brownstone flies open on Thursday Jeri is confused, there’s no one there, then she notices the person who opened it is way below her eye line, she looks down to see Lily Murdock peering up at her but before Jeri can say anything Jessica’s voice calls from inside the house, “Lily! How many times! You don’t open the door! Not without me or Daddy or Uncle Dex!” Jessica emerges and on reaching her kid hauls her up onto her hip, Lily pouts at her, “But I’m helping!” Jessica snorts and finally seems to notice Jeri, “Oh, hi. Come in.” Jessica closes the door and when she turns around Jeri holds out the bottle of red she brought. Jessica takes it with her free hand and Jeri says apologetically, only now realising, “I should have brought candy for the kids….” Jessica shakes her head, “They have enough candy, don’t worry about it. Come on through to the kitchen.” Jessica releases Lily who makes a run for the TV room and Jeri trails after Jessica. In the kitchen she sees Murdock and the tiny nun she knows is Murdock’s mother. It appears Murdock is cooking and Jeri suddenly worries he’s brought her here to poison her. She dismisses the worry instantly, he wouldn’t while his mom and kids were in the house, Jeri was 99.9% sure of that. Jessica reads out the label of the bottle Jeri had brought to Murdock and Jeri is surprised that the smile he offers is genuine and not terrifying, “This is one of our favourites, thank you, Jeri.” Jessica heads to a drawer, “I’ll open it now, you want a small glass, Maggie?” Maggie looks up from what she’s stirring, “Sure, but a genuine small glass please, honey, not a Jessica small.” They all seem to find this hilarious and Jeri smiles politely while the three of them chortle.

~

The food is delicious, almost worth dying for if it is poisoned. After dinner she offers to help load the dishwasher, she doesn’t want to be assassinated because she offended Murdock’s so Irish Catholic she’s a nun mother by not offering to help. Jessica joins her on loading up duty and as Jeri travels back and forward to the table she frowns at the sight in the next room, which she can see through the open door. Poindexter is lying on the floor with Lily and her toddler brother, Jack playing a game. She’s read Poindexter’s sealed files, she was the one who got them for Murdock, given the skillset they employ him for Jeri’s surprised they seem to treat him like a family member but she’s not about to say anything, none of her business if they want the world’s deadliest babysitter.

Jessica’s phone starts to buzz on the countertop and she excuses herself to answer, although doesn’t go far. Jeri’s nosy so strains to hear Jessica’s mumbled words, hears a distinct ‘Trish’.

Another surprise. That they’re still in touch. Walker had gone and gotten herself augmented in the end, the same off the books scientist that had given a non-consenting Jessica her powers as a teenager it had turned out.

Walker’s in super max now. Her brief vigilante career ending in disaster. Needless to say Murdock hadn’t asked Jeri to defend his sister-in-law. Jeri assumed he’d shopped her to the feds himself. Jeri busies herself scrapping a plate over the food waste before loading it when Jessica returns, ignoring the slight sniffle. She jumps slightly when Murdock appears in the doorway, he ignores her and directly address Jessica, Jeri is surprised at his tone, gentle isn’t a word she associates with him, “You okay?” Jessica nods, gives one of her eyes an abrupt wipe, “Yeah. It’s fine, I don’t even know why she keeps calling.” Murdock heads towards the counter, directs at Jeri, “Would you be able to help my mom upstairs please, Jeri? She’s looking through some of Jack’s toys that he’s outgrown, for the little ones at St Agnes.”

Jeri plasters a smile on her face, like she spends every Thursday night helping nuns, “Of course.” Jeri hasn’t survived by not knowing when to make herself scarce. She quickly glances back as she exits and sees Jessica slumped in Murdock’s arm, face buried in his neck. Jeri keeps moving.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeri has been in the wrong place at the wrong time for a decade now.

Jeri has been in the wrong place at the wrong time for a decade now. She’d just dropped by Jessica’s office to have some papers signed. It was part of Murdock’s ‘rainy day’ contingencies, assets moved out of the country in Jessica’s name in case they had to get out quickly and in case Murdock didn’t make it out with them. That’s why Jeri was there in person to get the signatures when half a dozen gunmen entered the gallery and shot Jessica in the shoulder. Jeri was forced into a car with a bleeding Jessica and a screaming Lily, with her mother after school, spitting out that her dad would kill them for this.

Jeri had no doubt Lily was correct.

They’ve been here for two days, locked in a room with a toilet and a mattress on the floor. Jeri had cleaned up Jessica’s wound as much as she could with the facilities available. Jessica had dug out the bullet herself with a plastic knife that had been with their first meal. Jeri had been simultaneously impressed and nauseous watching it. She’d been equally impressed at the dent Jessica made in the door, even if she wasn’t able to break it down.

Their captors are new players in town, thinking the best way to quickly establish themselves is to take down the Devil. Lily rolls her eyes as she tells Jeri and Jessica what she overhears, they’ve told Murdock to hand over the streets to them if he wants his wife and daughter back in one piece.

Nine members of this cartel have turned up dead since Jessica and Lily were taken. Lily’s also confirmed that Jeri’s being kept alive as they think she may have accounts details, like they think Murdock has given her his PIN number, that’s the level of idiocy they’re dealing with.

When the door swings open Jeri tenses, this is new. Jessica, standing by the wall, puts her arm around Lily and pulls her closer. Three oily goons enter the room with guns and the head oily goon says. “It seems Mr. Murdock isn’t taking our threats quite as seriously as hoped, we intend to send him a message, we’ve set up video camera and everything.” He leers at Jessica and Jeri feels bile rise to her throat, Jessica’s voice is steady when she says, “Oh please, let me out of here with the rest of you, sounds like a party.”

Head oily goon laughs, “Yeah, we know _all_ about you, that’s why we have the vibranium door. Besides, a few of the boys like fresh meat.” Jeri is looking at Jessica and Lily with a growing wave of horror rushing over her when the air cracks and Jessica’s leg buckles. It takes a second for Jeri’s brain to catch up _fuck they shot her again_. The asshole in charge lunges forward and grabs Lily’s arm, starts to attempt to haul her out while Jessica grips Lily’s other wrist and shouts, “No! I’ll fucking skin you alive for this! You think _he’s_ the Devil!_ I’m_ your worst fucking nightmare!” Lily is screaming and kicking and something in Jeri’s brain fires and she rushes the fucker, screams and digs her nails into his face. One of the other goons hauls her off, backhands her and throws her against the wall.

That’s why Jeri momentarily doesn’t notice the lights have been cut, in the dark she hears Jessica laughing, “Too late. He’s here.” The remaining goon in the doorway screams before dropping to the floor and Jeri hears something whip round the neck of the one towering over her and with a gurgling sound he falls limp and silent. That sound is competing with the tear of ligament and bone of the one who’d tried to remove Lily and Jeri is fairly certain Jessica’s snapped his neck.

As quickly as the lights were cut they come back on and Murdock removes the mask that covers the top part of his face, three dead bodies litter the room. Lily sobs, “Daddy!” She drops down beside Jessica and Murdock moves towards both of them, kisses Lily’s forehead on reaching her and kneels down beside Jessica, uses his face covering to make a tourniquet around Jessica’s leg. Jeri jumps at the sudden appearance of another looming figure in the doorway but relaxes when she realises it’s Poindexter stating, “Building’s secured, Boss. We took Rappaport alive, like you said to.” Murdock nods, “Take Jess and Lily home, Jeri too so my mom can check her over. I’ll deal with Rappaport.”

Jessica pulls herself up, “No, take Lily and Jeri, I’m staying.” Murdock sighs, like his wife has just objected to the new dishwasher he thinks they should buy rather than state her intention to stay while he personally murders a man. He gets as far as, “Jess….” Before she cuts him off, “Are you fucking kidding me, Matt? He _kidnapped_ me, threatened my daughter with….” A look crosses Murdock’s face, realisation, Lily sniffs and he puts his arm around her, lifting her with him as he stands from where he was crouching down. Jeri glances at Pointdexter who looks like he’s about five seconds from declaring he’s going nowhere either but then remembers his place, holds out his hand to Lily, “I’ll take you home now, honey, your Nana is there waiting for you.” Lily glances at Jessica, who nods at her, “Go with Uncle Dex, you know he won’t let anything happen to you and Daddy and I will just be an hour or so behind you. Your Nana will barely have stopped feeding you by the time we’re there.” Murdock leans down, whispers something in her ear and Lily nods determinedly and joins Pointdexter, turns to Jeri, “You’re coming too, Jeri, right?” Jeri nods, she’s got no desire to stick around and see how this ends, “Of course.”

~

There’s an SUV waiting with two of Murdock’s guys already in the front. Pointdexer opens the back door to let Lily and Jeri in and the guy not in the driver’s seat turns to say to Lily, “Hiya, Princess.” Lily greets him in return but about 30 seconds after they pull away is fast asleep, leaning again Pointdexter who’s arm is securely around her. On arrival outside the Murdock brownstone Lily stirs as the front door flies open, Jeri notes the other SUV’s in the street which look to be occupied, guards on the house. Maggie rushes down the steps as they exit the car and Lily breaks free of Pointdexter to run towards her with a cry of “Nana!” Maggie frowns over Lily’s shoulder as she hugs her and asks, “Where’s Matthew and Jessica?”

Pointdexter heads up the steps saying with nonchalance, “They’ll be along in a bit.” Jeri addresses Maggie as she figures she’s really the person in charge here, “Would someone be able to drop me at home? I can call for a car if you need everyone here though.” Maggie turns her frown on her, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, you’ve had a terrible shock. Come in, let me check you over, Jack’s been sleeping in with Matthew these past two nights so I’ll put Lily in there too and you can have her bed.” Jeri resigns herself and follows them into the house.

~

Jeri eats a huge bowl of lentil soup that’s puts in front of her a she sits at the kitchen table with Lily and Pointdexter, also being fed. She gingerly gets into Lily’s bed wearing fresh pyjamas that must be Jessica’s expecting an uneasy, restless, night. She jolts awake to a room with clear daylight leaking through the bottom of the window blinds. She reaches for her phone, checks her news app immediately. Rappaport’s broken body had been dumped on the steps of One Police Plaza. She only glances at the following details, Murdock’s message is clear, this is what happens if you fuck with my family.

She makes her way downstairs, Maggie had taken her clothes to launder and she wants to get changed and get gone. When she enters the kitchen the sight is surreal. Jessica has Jack on her knee and she’s helping him cut the pancakes in front of him while Murdock helps Lily flip a fresh batch.

You would never guess to look at them, two clearly doting parents, that they’d tortured a man to death hours before. Lily greets her, “Hi Jeri, do you want pancakes?” Jeri shakes her head but forces a smile on her face, as if everything is fine, “No thanks, I’m not really hungry yet.” She addresses Jessica, “Maggie took my clothes last night, any idea where they’d be now?” Jessica gestures to a doorway behind her, “Laundry room is back there, probably still in the dryer.”

Jeri makes her way past the kitchen table and through the door, Maggie must have done a load of laundry last night and Jeri needs to sort through to find her own things, really they should have been dry cleaned but she’d not had the energy to argue last night. She jumps at Murdock’s voice behind her, “My mom doesn’t believe in dry cleaning, says it’s a waste of time and money, if the clothes are ruined send me the bill.” Jeri inspects her just found blouse, “It’s fine, maybe your mom has a point.” Murdock clears his throat and Jeri glances at him suspiciously, she notes he put his glasses on to follow her in, they were off when he was supervising Lily at the stove. “I wanted to thank you, Jeri. Jess says you helped look after Lily, and you tried to stop them when they…I won’t forget this.”

Jeri feels her teeth grind, “Of course you won’t, you never do.” She turns to face him, “You know what you can do to thank me? You can leave me out of your bullshit from this point on.”

Murdock’s face is tight and his voice is low, it’s a tone that usually terrifies her but she’s past caring, if Murdock was going to kill her he’d have done it years ago, “You think this is the life I would have chosen for myself? For Lily and Jack? I went to a bar to get a drink with my girlfriend and some psycho shithead would have abducted and raped her if I hadn’t happened to come back in time. You know how I knew to come back? I could _hear_ her heart racing in panic, panic he stopped her from expressing. _You _didn’t know any of that though when you took the case, you thought I was just another asshole who couldn’t control his temper but all you could see where the headlines _Patsy’s Sister’s Orphan Summa Cum Laude boyfriend_ and all the free publicity it would bring you. You know why I make you work for me, Jeri? Cause fuck knows who you’d work for if I left you to your own devices. So don’t act like you’re in any fucking position to judge _me_.”

He turns and exits at that, Jeri’s mouth is dry as she makes sure the door is locked before changing into her clothes. When she exits she needs to head back through the kitchen and ignores Lily’s unhappy face as she heads to the front door. 


End file.
